Three Great Ways to Keep Your Stoke and Train for Surfing at Home

Three Great Ways to Keep Your Stoke and Train for Surfing at Home

As you probably know, a lot of people around the world spent the past month on lockdown at home, and not all of them were as fortunate as we were here in Hawaii.

While we were able to surf as part of our exercise here in the islands, many other surfers were landlocked for weeks and even months. They had to find creative ways to stay stoked and in shape for surfing—something that many of us have had to do at some point in our lives, whether due to a lack of swell, living somewhere far from the ocean, or other external factors beyond our control. Fortunately, there are a number of fun ways to “surf” while at home.

Here are three of them:

1) Slackline: Slacklining is often thought of as a pastime for stoners in parks and rock climbers in sweaty gyms, but it’s actually a great activity to keep you fresh for surfing as well. Not only does it help you work on your balance (and even your cross-stepping!), it also builds core and leg strength, which are essential to good surfing.

2) Balance boards: While the Indo Board was the first, there are now a number of different balance boards on the market, all of which provide pretty similar benefits, including exercise, balance, and fun. If you can’t actually get in the water to surf, you can always set your balance board up in front of the TV and watch your favorite surf film while pretending to surf in the comfort of your living room.

3) Skateboard: Skating was invented by surfers during the long summer months when the surf was dismal and uninspiring. These days, it has become a sport of its own, with many different styles and subcultures to choose from. You can cross-step a longboard, practice airs in the halfpipe, bomb hills, work on your street skills, or practice your carves on the driveway. No matter how you end up riding a skateboard, it will probably make you a better surfer. (Photo Cedit to @lukas_skinner)